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Gulfport, Mississippi
|population_footnotes = |population_total = 67793 |population_rank = US: 476th |population_urban = 208,948 (US: 175th) |population_metro = 382,516 (US: 137th) |population_density_km2 = 459 |population_density_sq_mi = 1191 |timezone = CST |utc_offset = -6 |timezone_DST = CDT |utc_offset_DST = -5 |coordinates_display = inline,title |coordinates_type = region:US_type:city |latd= 30 |latm= 24 |lats= 6 |latNS=N |longd= 89 |longm= 4 |longs= 34 |longEW=W |elevation_m = 6 |elevation_ft = 20 |postal_code_type = ZIP Codes |postal_code = 39501-39503, 39505-39507 |area_code = 228 |blank_name = FIPS code |blank_info = 28-29700 |blank1_name = GNIS feature ID |blank1_info = 0670771 |website = City of Gulfport |footnotes = }} Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson. It is the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area,Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city of Gulfport had a total population of 67,793. Gulfport is co-county seat with Biloxi of Harrison County, Mississippi. Gulfport is also home to the US Navy Atlantic Fleet Seabees.http://www.seabee.navy.mil/ History Gulfport was incorporated on July 28, 1898. Gulfport was founded by two men: William H. Hardyhttp://www.lib.usm.edu/legacy/archives/m380.htm who was president of the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad (G&SIRR) that connected inland lumber mills to the coast, and Joseph T. Jones who later took over the G&SIRR, dredged the harbor in Gulfport, and opened the shipping channel to the sea. In 1902, the harbor was completed and the Port of Gulfport became a working seaport that now accounts for millions of dollars in annual sales and tax revenue for the state of Mississippi. in Gulfport, 1906]] From its beginnings as a lumber port, Gulfport evolved into a diversified city. With about 6.7 miles (10.7 kilometers) of white sand beaches along the Gulf of Mexico, Gulfport has become a tourism destination, due in large part to Mississippi's Coast Casinos. Gulfport has served as host to popular cultural events such as the "World's Largest Fishing Rodeo," "Cruisin' the Coast" (a week of classic cars), and "Smokin' the Sound" (speedboat races). Gulfport is a thriving residential community with a strong mercantile center. There are historic neighborhoods and home sites, as well as diverse shopping opportunities and several motels scattered throughout to accommodate golfing, gambling, and water-sport tourism. In 1910, the U.S. Post Office and Customhouse was built. The Gulfport Post office was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html In March 1916, Mayor George M. Foote announced that the Andrew Carnegie Corporation was going to place a Carnegie Libraryhttp://www.harrison.lib.ms.us/history/history_outline.htm#1890 in Gulfport. On August 17, 1969 Gulfport and the Mississippi Gulf Coast was hit by Hurricane Camille. By central pressure, Camille was the second strongest U.S. land falling hurricane in recorded history. The area of total destruction in Harrison County, Mississippi was 68 square miles (180 km2).11 The total estimated cost of damage was $1.42 billion (1969 USD, $9 billion 2012 USD).12 This made Camille the second-most expensive hurricane in the United States, up to that point (behind Hurricane Betsy).13 The storm directly killed 143 people along Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. In December 1993, the City annexed north of Gulfport making it the second largest city in Mississippi. On August 29, 2005, Gulfport was hit by the strong east side of Hurricane Katrina, and much of Gulfport was flooded or destroyed (see details below). Much of Gulfport was also severely damaged by Hurricane Camille on August 17, 1969. Geography and Climate Gulfport is located at 30°24'6" North, 89°4'34" W (30.401641, −89.076169). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total area of , of which is land and (11.40%) is water. , west of Biloxi, along the Gulf of Mexico.]] Gulfport has a humid subtropical climate, which is strongly moderated by the Gulf of Mexico. Winters are short and generally warm, cold spells do occur, but seldom last long. Snow flurries are rare in the city, with no notable accumulation occurring most years. Summers are generally long, hot and humid, though the city's proximity to the Gulf prevents extreme summer highs, as seen farther inland. Gulfport is subject to extreme weather, most notably tropical storm activity through the Gulf of Mexico. |date=February 2013 }} Demographics 2013 Estimate }} According to the census of 2010, there were 69,220 people residing in the city. The population density was 1,191.4 people per square mile (459.9/km²). The city had 50,825 or 74.97% of its population at the age of 18 and above. The racial makeup of the city was 56.86% White, 36.07% African American, 0.39% Native American, 1.69% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 2.13% from other races, and 2.73% from two or more races. Results show that 5.19% of the population was Hispanic/Latino of any race. There were 31,602 housing units at an average density of 555.4 per square mile (214.4/km²). The city had 83.24% of housing units occupied. There were an average of 2.57 persons living in each occupied housing unit. Comparing the 2000 and 2010 Census, the population of the city went down while the total number of housing units rose. This can be attributed to Hurricane Katrina, which destroyed housing and displaced people. New housing development has continued with a mixture of redevelopment from hurricane damage, though not all of the displaced population returned. As of the census of 2000, there were 26,943 households out of which 32.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.07. In Gulfport, the population dispersal was 26.0% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $32,779, and the median income for a family was $39,213. Males had a median income of $29,220 versus $21,736 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,554. 17.7% of the population and 14.1% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 25.8% of those under the age of 18 and 13.7% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. Gulfport is the location of Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport. The airport suffered extensive damage due to Hurricane Katrina. A major renovation project is for the most part completed and it has resumed commercial air service. New airlines are being regularly added. Education The City of Gulfport is served by the Gulfport School District and the Harrison County School District. The Jefferson Davis Campus of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is also located in Gulfport.Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Jefferson Davis Campus Before Hurricane Katrina, William Carey University had a satellite campus in Gulfport, but in 2009, the University moved to their new Tradition Campus, constructed off Mississippi Highway 67 in north Harrison County.William Carey University, Tradition Campus The Gulf Park Campus of the University of Southern Mississippi is located in Long Beach, just west of Gulfport. In 2012, repairs and renovations to campus buildings were still in progress following devastation by Hurricane Katrina.USM, Gulf Park Campus Government visited Gulfport during his 1976 reelection campaign.]] Gulfport Police The Gulfport Police Department has 201 sworn personnel and 92 civilian staff to serve the city. U.S. Coast Guard The U.S. Coast Guard operates 7 boats out of the port of Gulfport 2 of which are Patrol Boats. The Gulfport station has 110 members which include Active, Reserve and Coast Guard Auxiliary who respond to an average of 300 search and rescue cases annually. Economy Top employers According to Gulfport's 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,City of Gulfport CAFR the top employers in the city were: Media Gulfport's local newspaper is The Sun Herald. It is also served by two television stations, the ABC affiliate WLOX and CBS on WLOX-DT2, the Fox affiliate WXXV, and WXXV Digital signal on Channel 25.2 as NBC 25 NBC affiliate. There are also seven radio stations in the Gulfport area. Gulfport/Biloxi International Airport/ ANG base Air Gulfport/Biloxi and the Gulf Coast area is served by the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport. Scheduled passenger service * American Airlines (Gate 1) ** American Eagle (Dallas/Fort Worth) * United Airlines (Gate 3) ** United Express operated by ExpressJet Airlines (Houston-Intercontinental) * Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) (Gate 5 and 6) ** Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (Atlanta) ** Delta Connection operated by Pinnacle Airlines (Memphis) * US Airways (Gate 2) ** US Airways Express operated by PSA Airlines (Charlotte) * Vision Airlines (Gate 7) (St. Petersburg) Military *Naval Construction Battalion Center (U.S. Navy) *890th Engineer Battalion Mississippi Army National Guard *1108th Theater Aviation Support Maintenance Group (TASMG) (U.S. Army) *255th Air Control Squadron (Air Force/Mississippi Air National Guard) *209th Civil Engineer Squadron(Air Force/Mississippi Air National Guard) *U.S. Coast Guard State and Federal Law Enforcement *MEMA *FEMA Hurricane Katrina On August 29, 2005, Gulfport was hit by the strong eastern side of Hurricane Katrina. Much of the city was flooded or destroyed in one day by the strong, hurricane-force winds which lasted over 16 hours and a storm surge exceeding 28 feet (9 m) in some sections.Gary Tuchman, Transcript of "Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees" (2006-08-29) 19:00 ET, CNN, CNN.com web: CNN-ACooper082906: GARY TUCHMAN, CNN Correspondent: Responds to Anderson Cooper that it felt like it would never end, saying winds were at least 100 miles per hour in Gulfport for seven hours, between about 7:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. For another five or six hours, on each side of that, they Gulfport had hurricane-force winds over 75 miles per hour; much of the city Mississippi, in Harrison County of 71,000 was then under water. Hurricane Katrina damaged over 40 Mississippi libraries, gutting the Gulfport Public Library, first floor, and breaking windows on the second floor, beyond repair, requiring total reconstruction."Hurricane Katrina Related Damages to Public Libraries in Mississippi" (September 2005), Mississippi Library Commission, web:ALA-Katrina. The Sun Herald newspaper in Biloxi-Gulfport, under the executive editor Stanley R. Tiner, won the 2006 Pulitzer Prize in journalism for its Katrina coverage. Notable people * Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (birth name: Chris Jackson), former NBA point guard for the Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings and Vancouver Grizzlies * Bidwell Adam, Gulfport lawyer and Democratic politician; Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi from 1928 to 1932John H. Lang, History of Harrison County, Mississippi Dixie Press, 1935, p. 135 * Thomas H. Anderson, Jr., Ambassador of the United States to Barbados, Dominica, St Lucia, Antigua, St. Vincent, and St. Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla from 1984 to 1986, was born in GulfportReagan appointee * Milton Barney, 1990 AFL Ironman of the Year * William Joel Blass, Attorney and educatorWilliam Joel Blass Retrieved 2014-05-16. * Timmy Bowers, professional basketball player * Rod Davis, professional football player, played for the Minnesota Vikings * Brett Favre, quarterback in the National Football League for the Green Bay Packers, New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings, born in Gulfport * William H. Hardy, co-founder of the city of Gulfport * Josh Hayes, professional motorcycle roadracer, AMA Superbike Championship title winner * Boyce Holleman, attorney, politician and actorUniversity of Mississippi News: Attorney Boyce Holleman Remembered By Sons with $100,000 Gift to Law School Retrieved 2014-05-16. * Joseph T. Jones, co-founder of the city of Gulfport * Matt Lawton, former Major League Baseball player best known for his stint with the Minnesota Twins * Stanford Morse (1926-2002), member of the Mississippi State Senate, 1956-1964; Republican candidate for lieutenant governor in 1963.Billy Hathorn, "Challenging the Status Quo: Rubel Lex Phillips and the Mississippi Republican Party (1963-1967)", The Journal of Mississippi History XLVII, November 1985, No. 4, p. 240-264 * Brittney Reese, American long jumper, Olympic gold medalist * Stuart Roosa, Colonel, US Air Force, Apollo 14 astronaut, Command Module Pilot. Brought seeds to moon that germinated in space * Tiffany Travis, former WNBA Basketball player, played for Charlotte Sting * Natasha Trethewey, Pulitzer Prize winning poet, former Poet Laureate of the United States, and Professor at Emory University, born in Gulfport * Tim Young, professional baseball player, played for the Montreal Expos and the Boston Red Sox See also *Bible belt *Grass Lawn (Gulfport, Mississippi) *Gulf and Ship Island Railroad *Gulfport Veterans Administration Medical Center Historic District *Historic Grand Hotels on the Mississippi Gulf Coast *Mississippi City, Mississippi *National Register of Historic Places listings in Harrison County, Mississippi *Old Gulfport High School *Turkey Creek Community Historic District *United States Post Office and Customhouse (Gulfport, Mississippi) References External links * City of Gulfport Official website Category:Cities in Mississippi Category:Gulfport, Mississippi Category:Cities in Harrison County, Mississippi Category:County seats in Mississippi Category:Gulfport–Biloxi metropolitan area Category:Port cities and towns of the United States Gulf Coast